Overview of: ActsToday's Reading:
Acts 17:1-34
"Thessolonica, Berea, and Athens"
Focus Verses: Acts 16:29-34
29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead."
Insight:
Paul taught how Jesus was the Christ, explained how his suffering was necessary, and how he had risen from the dead. He preached in the synagogues, the marketplace, and the Areopagus, reasoning with Jews, believers, philosophers, and idol worshipers. He preached Jesus as the image of the invisible God--the one appointed by God to judge the world with justice. He told them that Jesus' resurrection from the dead was proof of these claims.
When telling others about Jesus, Paul gave careful consideration to the beliefs and perspectives of his audience. He looked for ways their own beliefs, backgrounds, questions, and ideas pointed to the truth of Jesus. He used their Scriptures, their poets, their questions, and even the inscriptions on their idols as a starting point for a discussion about Jesus.
Response and Action:
I want to share Jesus with others. To do this, I need to be a disciple of Jesus and a student of the Scriptures. I also need to know and understand the people around me. I need to be a student of my world--it's cultures, beliefs, questions, religions, philosophies, literature, and arts. True faith in Jesus, coupled with a commitment to study, think, and learn, makes it possible to engage the world in the marketplace of ideas. I want a vibrant faith the does not retreat from the world, but, rather, interacts with it in thoughtful and challenging ways.
O God, thank you for Jesus, the Christ, who came into the world and suffered for my sake. Thank you for his resurrection and victory over death--the validation of his claims and promises. Give me the wisdom and the will to guard my heart, feed my spirit, stimulate my mind, and care for my body. Help me to grow in my understanding and experience of the salvation and hope Christ brings. Give me the wisdom and the skill to share and communicate my faith with others in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Amen.
Old Testament for Today: Proverbs 25:11-13
11 A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. 12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear. 13 Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.
In Context: Proverbs 25
Proverb for Today: Prov. 24:7
"Wisdom is too high for a fool; in the assembly at the gate he has nothing to say."
Recommended Reading:
Speaking of Jesus: How to Tell Your Friends the Best News They Will Ever Hear
by J. Mack Stiles
